A seismic shift is underway in the
technology sector as companies big and small embrace the "cloud". The
cloud is another name for the Internet, but instead of a simply
thinking of it as a set of dumb cables connecting computers together,
the cloud represents the idea that all information and programs will
reside on the Internet in a smart way for seamless interaction from
anywhere. Rather than your local computer being the centerpiece of your
digital life, it is shifted to the net where you can use any
PC or any net-connected device -- mobile phones, PDAs, netbooks, and
other yet to be invented devices.

Strategy teams at major technology companies are creating divisions
such as "Cloud Infrastructure Group" and printing business cards with
titles like "Cloud Supervisor". Start-up companies are out registering
every possible domain name with the word cloud. (smartcloud, bigcloud,
redcloud, nanocloud, etc). Unlike other mass hysteria fueled trends
(Y2K, P2P, peak oil, global warming, etc), cloud computing is a trend
that will dramatically change every aspect of our lives and deserves
the hype, investment and attention.

Video will certainly reside and be delivered from the cloud and we're
witnessing the early days of that transformation. YouTube has already
amassed a massive library of short form video. Longer form video with
higher quality is finding a home at Veoh.
Besides these legitimate services there are many unlicensed services
that offer a wide selection of videos. The new generation of young
people use sites like The
Pirate Bay and YouTorrent
as their video provider instead of the cable company.

I attended a party last weekend to watch a pay-per-view event that was
crowded with young people. Next to the big screen TV were two laptops
tuned to ChannelSurfing.net,
which broadcasts pay-per-view events from all over the world as they
happen for free. The site had every major PPV event worldwide as it
happens and has an archive of past events. The homeowner had
paid for this event so I inquired why the laptops
were necessary. The laptop owners said they were testing the delay,
video quality and broadcasting team of ChannelSurfing.net for future
events. (Apparently the service is based overseas and often has non-US
announcers.) It's increasingly common for younger, technically minded
people to not subscribe to a video service (cable or satellite) and
simply use the cloud.

Video is following in the footsteps of music that experienced the music
in the cloud explosion with Napster nearly 10 years ago. The original
Napster has been shutdown, but there's an ever-expanding list of
services taking their place from commercial MP3 stores (Amazon, Napster,
Rhapsody)
to unlicensed music services (Playlist,
Muxtape,
Grooveshark,
etc).

Unlike the above companies, MP3tunes
is not trying to offer the all-encompassing song library, but, we are
about music in the cloud. We're putting your personal music collection
into the cloud. This doesn't mean dumping your songs online into an A-Z
list -- plenty of companies can do that. The cloud requires an
intelligent approach so your music is everywhere you are with
playlists, album art, searching, and smart playback to match any mood.
With personal music in the cloud, any PC you use can have iTunes-like
access to your music. Or, buy an Internet radio and have music in any
room of your house. If you've got a Wii, Tivo, or other net connected
device then you'll also have your tunes.

MP3tunes is investing millions in building the music cloud
infrastructure, publishing an API
for all to use, releasing open
source libraries and working closely with hardware companies
to build the next generation of home, car and mobile music devices
which tap into the music cloud. Shortly we'll be releasing software to
put your audio collection on any mobile phone. (If you'd like to help
beta test please send me an e-mail
and of course you'll need your own Music Locker).

Undoubtedly you'll be hearing more about the cloud from industry
luminaries over the coming months and years as society makes the shift
from the physical world to the cloud. Young people like those from the
PPV party don't talk about the "cloud". It is already second nature to
them. It's how they live and how they expect the world to work, like
how we think (or don't think) about electricity.

Politicians will continue to speculate about global weather trends and
forecasts of perilous doom which may or may not be true, but massive
clouds will rain down change on every aspect of our technical
life.